DIY: 2010 – Call for Participants

DIY 7 is an opportunity for artists working in Live Art to take part in unusual training and professional development projects conceived and run by artists for artists.

All projects will take place in August and September 2010.

Our Call for Participants is now closed.

More info about DIY.

More info about DIY 7: 2010.

DIY 7 projects are aimed at both emergent and experienced practitioners, and take place throughout the UK. The DIY 7 programmes take many forms, with a focus on sound, writing, text, make-up, endurance, disability, ephemerality, photography, activism, tourism and folklore.

All projects are now full and closed to applications.

Ania Bas
Detour – in search of alternatives for de/touring live art works
London
Extend the life of temporary/one-off/site-specific/context-specific/ephemeral live art works and explore alternatives to touring.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Bird la Bird
Getting Ready
London
This project will aim to enhance artists’ existing practical skills in the art of putting on make up and stimulate creative thinking around the act of putting on make up as performance.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Simon Bowes
Take This Longing
Edinburgh
Take This Longing off in search of something distinct, be it a project, a practice, an ethos, a movement, a hope for the future.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

sean burn and Tim Rubidge
writing on air 
newcastle
together we will reclaim languages surrounding disability using live writing, movement and other performance skills in a day of live and disability arts.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Karen Christopher
Thinking Space: Writing in Public
Whitstable
A 2-day writing workshop that looks to public spaces and the influence of location to produce plural writing, marked by space, by interruption, by bodies, by sound, and polluted by public influence.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Alice Cutler
Freedom of Movement
Bristol
Become an urban orienteer, pull out the threads of Bristol’s past, present and possible futures. From calamity to climate justice?

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Abi Davey
An Artist’s guide to The Black Country
The Black Country
Rediscover the true “Black Country” as a tourist for the weekend, explore and experience it, then draw upon skills and senses to map out an artist’s guide to the area.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Renata Gaspar, Ioana Paun and Tania El Khoury
Pop Up your ears – Sonic experiments in urban and domestic environments
Newcastle
A 3-day intensive workshop where we will play, rewind and hear with delay sounds from Newcastle and cities far away.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Lottie Leedham
Contemporary Myth Making
London
A practical study for artists interested in the folkloric process, whereby real events are transformed into myth and myths are made real.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Martin O’Brien
Altered States
Colchester
Exist in extremis – A four day immersive workshop for artists working with endurance, examining achieving altered states through physical activity.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Joshua Sofaer
Indecent Proposal (Live Art & Yorkshire Sculpture Park)
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
An exceptional opportunity to develop a bespoke proposal for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park with curatorial support.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Fiona Templeton
The Eavesdroppers’ Choir
Bury
A found-live-language speaking choir, based on a 3 1/2-day intensive collaborative workshop to explore techniques of gathering, creating forms with and improvising live with found language.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

Manuel Vason
Becoming an Image
Lancaster
Through a collaborative workshop, explore the relationship and transition between and from body-based performance into sculpture and photography.

THIS DIY PROJECT IS NOW FULL

General DIY information follows below.

I feel I have refined my entire practice and honed it down into being far more workable, productive and efficient. My understanding of the areas I am influenced by is now clearer and I am able to articulate my concerns that will help me when applying for courses, funding or when submitting proposals. (Poppy Jackson, participant in Practice-based Research for Emerging Artists, DIY 6: 2009)

Information for all projects and applicants 
Follow the links on the DIY projects above to find details of each DIY project. Each project description has specific information relevant to that project; on this page you can find information about all projects and answers to frequently asked questions.

Requesting further information 
The lead artists are happy to respond to questions about their DIY projects. If something is not clear or if you would like further information (eg about dates and the time you will need to commit) then email the lead artist. In each project description the contact email of the lead artist is included. Please make sure you put ‘DIY 7’ in your email subject line.

Who can apply?
DIY is a scheme for artists working in Live Art. However, many of the DIY projects are relevant to artists who are interested in Live Art but may not have an extensive track-record of Live Art practice. In each case read the project description closely to understand if there is a specific ‘target’ of participants (eg at a certain stage in their career).

Some projects may prioritise artists from within the region in which it is based (except for London which is open to all artists). However, other artists are not excluded from requesting a place on the project. Past experience tells us that there are often places available for all artists who want to take part. Therefore we strongly recommend that if you are interested in taking part in a project – even if it is not taking place in the region in which you live – then you should make a submission.

Deadline and notification 
The DIY projects have an application deadline of Friday 16 July, 2010. If you would like to take part in a DIY project you need to contact the DIY project leader and submit your application to them.

Each project has slightly different selection methods – most often you will be asked to submit a cv or biography and a short statement. You should check each project description carefully to work out what is required for your submission. If in doubt, email the lead artist as early as possible with a question to clarify what is required.

Each lead artist will respond to your submission and let you know if you have been accepted to participate. They will usually do this within a week of the deadline. Sometimes they will request further information to help them work out if the project is right for you.

The deadline is the final date for submission. We encourage you however to make your submission at any time leading up to the deadline.

How much does DIY cost?
Generally DIY projects are free to take part in; however, for some projects you will be asked to contribute to the cost of food and other direct expenses. Mostly you will also be asked to cover your own travel costs to and from the place where the project is taking place. Some projects provide participants for specified costs such as travel.

Where relevant, details of costs are mentioned in the project descriptions; however, if you are in doubt email the lead artist to check.

What happens if I can’t attend all days?
DIY projects are short and designed for small numbers of participants. It is therefore ideal if you are participating that you attend all days/sessions of the DIY project. If this is not possible but you really want to take part, please contact the DIY project leader and outline your availability to determine if they will accept your application.

Access requirements 
Unfortunately, some projects require certain levels of physical fitness and/or are not accessible for all artists. If you have access requirements please contact the lead artist to discuss the suitability of the project.

How can I lead a DIY project?
The artists leading DIY projects were selected through an open call, which you can view here. We hope to run DIY in 2011 and will again select DIY lead artists through an open call. Join the Live Art Development Agency e-list to remain informed of our projects and activities.

If you require further information about any of these projects or artists, please contact the Live Art Development Agency at [email protected]

DIY 7 is a Live Art Development Agency initiative developed in collaboration with Artsadmin (national), Colchester Arts Centre (East England), Duckie (national), Fierce (West Midlands), Forest Fringe (national), New Work Network (national), Nuffield Theatre & LANWest (North West), PLATFORM (national), Text Festival (North West), Whitstable Biennale (South East), Wunderbar Festival (North East) and Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Yorkshire).